First Love
by Chibikawa
Summary: Narrated by Guntz, he tells a story of when he first fell in love. Rated T for language, violence, and death. Oneshot, AU.


**First Love**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Guntz, but the rest are my original characters.

**A/N**: This story takes place before Guntz' introduction in the games. It is in relation to my upcoming fanfic _Legend of Rebirth. _More about Cross and Fuji will be explained in that story. I just felt like making this separate because it's long and a narration. Plus, I need to work on one-shots; this'll be my first one(it's also my first narration).

* * *

I met Fuji during a long-term mission. No, she _was_ the mission. Cross¹ had set me up to it without telling me first. Before I knew it he had persuaded me with the reward money to board this huge sky ship and fly it for two weeks. I had to protect some princess until we got to her kingdom. Easy way to make money, I thought. 

The other guards there didn't like my attitude, especially when I refused to bow to the princess. I knew she was strange from the moment I first saw her. But those big, green innocent eyes of hers turned me away completely. I wanted nothing to do with her.

Before leaving, Cross convinced the princess' guardian that she would be safe with me. If a lot of money was involved, he said, I'd do anything. It was true. Taking off was odd. I had never been on a sky ship before. I hoped it was nothing like a boat.

Fuji came up to me that first day probably a few hours after we took off. I was out on the deck, staring at the world as it past by. I was thinking about some complicated things, so Fuji had caught me in a bad mood. She greeted me at first, as if we had made friends already. I didn't reply positively. I probably told her to scram or get lost, as if she were a little kid.

She did look younger than she was, though. She was probably one of those pure-bred dogs, a brown Akita, it looked like. I hated pure-breeds. Of course _I_ would, I'm not even fully dog... If I was, I'd probably be a German Shepherd, as people had told me before. I wouldn't suit a German Shepherd, though. They're known to be loyal and noble… Anyway, a lot of pure-breeds seemed so self-esteemed to me, so I naturally didn't like this princess from the start.

She gave me an odd smile that irritated me slightly. I hate it when I can't understand things, especially when they're right in front of me. I didn't hide my annoyance and Fuji must've noticed, for she got straight to the point after that.

"Are you lonely?"

I blinked. What kind of question was that? Impulsively I said I wasn't. "Are you sure?" She asked. I raised a lip to further express my irritation. "Yeah," I replied with unfriendliness. As if satisfied, she nodded slowly and a quiet _ting_ noise sounded. There was a thin ribbon tied around her neck with a bell on it.

The bell made a chime noise every time she moved. That was annoying me, as well. Fuji then bade me good-bye and left. At that point I brushed it off, as if the conversation had never happened. But for some reason the question lingered in me.

Am I lonely?

That night the guardian of the princess, who was also her uncle, gave me a bit of information on what I was dealing with. He said that for years an opposing kingdom had been threatening to attack and take over theirs. They had moved Fuji several years ago to an isolated village, where she was safe and taught to be a princess.

The king was ill with a hereditary disease and was probably going to die soon. Fuji was needed to take control of her kingdom. I had to make sure she got there safely, for it seemed that around here word got out fast. "I don't trust you," the guardian outwardly admitted. I shrugged.

"As long as I get the money I was promised, there's no need to worry," I replied nonchalantly. "Unless, of course, your enemy offers me more money. Then you've got a problem." The guardian grimaced. "You're a terrible person." How right he was. I shrugged again, though. Everyone told me that. I had gotten used to it long ago.

The next day I wasn't feeling so hot. It turns out that sky ships are barely any different from boats. I felt like my stomach was going to turn inside-out. And, again, at the worst time, Fuji showed up; along with her _ting_ing bell. First she asked me if I was hungry, as if I was her guest. I didn't reply, for I felt like if I opened my mouth not all that pretty substances would come out of it.

"You look pale," Fuji noted, frowning. I still didn't reply. I hung my head and arms over the railing lined at the edges of the sky ship. Fuji caught on quickly and smiled, either finding it humorous or just proud of herself. "Do you get air sick?"

I wanted to kill myself for the longest time at what I did next. Thank goodness I was looking over the rail. Fuji had on a strange look; the sound of throwing up never was pleasant. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and was about to tell her to get lost, trying to hide my humiliation. Fuji suddenly grabbed my hand before I could say anything, though, smiling again.

"Here, we have lots of medicine in the infirmary. I'm sure at least one will help." I was feeling a bit dazed by then and let her drag me through the sky ship. When we stopped I had regained my senses and found I had no idea where I was. Fuji came up to me with two small bottles.

"Here. This will help your nausea; liquid or pill?" She asked. I blinked, not really understanding at first, but then frown distastefully. "I don't need anything," I said, dismissing myself. Sure, I felt like crap, but I'd never admit it by taking medicine; especially not medicine offered to me.

Though I had to wonder… Why hadn't Fuji looked at me with a grimace or even uttered an "ew?" Weren't girls grossed out about stuff like that? Not only that, but why wasn't she frowning at me all the time, like everyone else did? I'm a bounty hunter. People hate bounty hunters because of their lust for money and selfishness.

I didn't think about this too long, for I already knew the princess was odd. And what was it to me, anyway? I was here to guard her, not snoop around her thoughts. Not like I wanted to. She was just an ordinary princess, right? She was probably like all the others.

It rained that night. I stood outside with no extra cover and no care for the water soaking into my fur and making me terribly cold. I'm not sure why myself, but I usually do this whenever it rains. I just stand there and let the sound of the heavy raindrops take my mind away.

It always seems to be raining whenever bad things happen to me, so it's easy to reminisce while standing in it. Fuji came out after a while. I didn't notice her until she held an umbrella over my head. Her long hair was plastered to her face. "You'll catch a Cold," she warned. "I don't care," I replied dully. A Cold would be merciful; I deserved something worse, like the White Plague².

For some reason I always felt the need to punish myself in some way, even though I was already suffering. Fuji made a cough. "You're the one that's going to get sick," I said. "I'm not going back in until you do." She sure was stubborn; selflessly stubborn. Just something else I couldn't understand. I waited a moment before replying with a sigh.

"Fine. But only because this whole mission will have been for nothing if you die of some stupid sickness." She followed me as I turned and headed inside.

A few days went on with me, standing outside since there was little to do inside, and Fuji coming out to make effort to start a conversation with me. It seemed like every day she'd get a bit more out of me, but I refused to speak anything of my past. She seemed to respect that and never asked anything about it.

One day was quite weird. I felt a little better than the few days before about being in the air. I guess I was getting used to it finally. These two guards had called me over all of a sudden. They both looked like Akita dogs under their odd uniforms. They told me to stop "messing around" with the princess. I told them I had no idea what they were talking about, but they seemed convinced on whatever they had assumed.

Later, when Fuji yet again met me outside, I muttered, "You know, your guard dogs don't really want me around you." When she gave me a confused look I told her what the guards had said. "Oh, they're just being possessive. Those two have been trying to get my attention all week…" Her voice trailed off and she looked down.

I gave her a look out of the corner of my eye. "You see, since my dad, the king, is probably going to die soon, I've been told that I have to find a suitor." In such a calm tone she spoke of her father's upcoming death. My voice still cracked whenever I spoke about my dad(which I hadn't ever to anyone before). Fuji must not have known her parents very well.

She continued. "Everyone's been all around me since then, trying to convince me that they'd be best as the prince. I'm pretty tired of it." For the first time in my life I thought about what it'd be like to be a prince. To rule a kingdom and have everyone know and respect you. It was quite the opposite of what I was now.

I shook the idea out of my head. "Isn't 15 a bit young to be thinking about getting married?" I asked. Fuji smiled. "Yes, but I have no choice. It's life as a princess, you know?" She started coughing quietly. "Maybe you should rest," I suggested. "I'm fine," the princess insisted. I could tell she was only trying to look tough. "I can look after myself, you know?"

"Either way, I'm being paid to make sure you get to your kingdom alive. I won't get a penny if we wind up only getting your corpse there." I was overreacting, I know, but I was just trying to get my point across. Fuji looked down. "Right… because that's all that matters," she said quietly. Slowly, she turned around and left.

Next day marked the first week, the half-point of this mission. When I waited—No, when I just idly stood outside by the railing, Fuji never came. I guess I had grown used to talking to her, even if I always sounded like she was being a bother. The day seemed to go by so much slower than usual.

Maybe she was mad at me. Could she even _get_ mad? I still don't know. But I eventually decided to ask around. I decided that my excuse was to make sure my "subject" was still alive. No one liked it when I used that word, but someone eventually gave me a useful answer.

"She's sick. Mr. Ruzo told her not to leave her room." Mr. Ruzo was, of course, the princess' uncle. I acted like I didn't care and went back outside. Sick; figured. And she was saying _I_ was going to get sick. Well, there I go again, accidentally bringing bad luck upon others around me. That always happened. I got used to it and stopped caring…

I didn't care…

I put my hand over my face as I went back to the railing. Damn these stupid emotions. All they did was push me down. Cross had told me that I had to muscle my way past them to become a real bounty hunter. Supposedly bounty hunters didn't feel sorrow or regret. But I can't help it.

My past is so fucked up. When I finally learn to ignore my emotions, then there really will be no hope left for me; not that there was any from the start. Besides, the way my life turned out is all my fault. It was my fault my father died. Damn that Janga… Damn him to Hell!

I grinded my teeth so hard that my gums started bleeding a little. I had sworn to myself over and over that I'd kill Janga. I imagined myself torturing him, hearing his screams and myself laughing mercilessly. It was actually a scary thought. That's what I'd become after I got past my emotions. When I truly became an emotionless killing machine.

But now… No. Now I'm just a kid. A stupid, worthless kid with no parents, no life, no future... I felt my eyes getting watery, but I wouldn't let anything out of them. That stupid lump was in my throat again and it was hard to breath through my nose. I heard a bird squawk nearby and looked to the side.

A crow had landed on the railing only a few feet away from me. That stupid bird. It was the same one; with those strange blue eyes that seemed to be sparkling like starlight on water. Why wouldn't it just leave me alone? I swiped a hand at it. With a caw, it flew upward, but then perched on the railing again.

A few times I wanted to blame that black bird for my misfortunes. Didn't crows represent something? Death, was it? Well, there'd certainly been plenty of death in my life. Death caused by me, either accidental or on purpose. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't hear someone approaching me or the quiet _ting_. The voice made me jump.

"What's wrong?"

I quickly looked back to see Fuji, giving me a look of concern and curiosity. I looked away. There was no way I was going to let her see my tears. I didn't reply, in fear that my voice would sound cracked and give me away. But Fuji was smart when it came to emotions. She already knew before she asked.

"Are you thinking about something sad? Something about your past?" she asked. What was she expecting me to say? "Yes?" Of course not. "Go away," I muttered so quietly it was barely audible. Did I really want her to go away? Probably not. But that was just the way I was. I said things I didn't mean all the time, only to regret them later.

Fuji didn't leave, though. She simply leaned on the railing the same way I was and looked down at the planet, as if looking for whatever I had been absently staring at. The crow fluttered away to who knows where. I'd probably see it again, not that I wanted to. We said nothing for the longest time. I found that the harder I tried to hold in my emotions the harder they tried to get out.

But somehow I managed not to cry. "Weren't you supposed to stay in your room?" I asked after finding that my voice had returned. "Uncle worries too much. He's overreacting. I'm fine," Fuji insisted. "Still…" I began slowly. "Everyone's always worrying about me." I looked at Fuji. She had raised her voice slightly and was still staring below.

"Because I'm a princess, I have to be treated 'specially.' Everyone's always asking if I want something or if something's bothering me. I don't like it… Why can't I be treated like a normal person?"

_Why can't I be treated like a normal person?_ How many times had I asked myself that same exact question? Fuji's situation was completely different, but in some way we were on the same boat. I had always expected all princesses to be bratty and selfish. They got whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. Their life was easy…

"Everyone's always all over me. I can never get any time alone. But, you know… the guards here don't seem to like being near you. This is as alone as I can get." I was quite taken aback. "Well, that explains a lot," I muttered. Was that bitterness in my voice? Was I actually disappointed that Fuji hadn't talked to me every day because she _wanted_ to?

She looked at me. "Don't get me wrong, I like talking to you. Though honestly you don't say much." She smiled good-naturedly. I leaned my head on my chin, as if I had lost any interest I had in the conversation. Fuji frowned. "Is it me you don't like, or do you act this way around everyone? Maybe people haven't treated you normally, either. Is that why you always look so angry? Like the world is your enemy?"

She was sounding a bit nosey by now, but she was hitting the nail on the head. How was she so good at assuming people's thoughts? I looked away. "I don't have a problem with anyone. It's the world that has a problem with me," I eventually replied. "Sometimes I feel that way, too," Fuji admitted.

The sleeve of the arm I was leaning on slid down slightly, revealing part of a strip of bandages tied around my arm. She gave them a curious stare and I rolled my sleeve up again. "Is that also part of your 'problem?'" Fuji asked. I gave her a shadowed stare. "You should watch what you're asking, or else you'll get an answer you don't want to hear," I warned.

I knew what I was talking about, but she probably didn't. I didn't exactly feel like spoiling her innocent mind with stories about how fucked up my life was. Fuji didn't seem to take my warning to much, if any, heed. Instead, she asked, "Have you ever thought about killing yourself?"

That received a weird look from me. I mean, what was she expecting? What an odd question to ask. "No," I replied at first. I was still trying to figure out where the question had come from. It was hard to imagine Fuji as an emo chick that cut herself. Though her clean arms opposed that theory.

I hesitated. "Well, I did once… but then I found out that I'm too much of a wimp to kill myself." Cross had been there, then. Actually, he was the one who had suggested that I kill myself. That was before I became this monster. I looked down at my hands. "That's good," was all Fuji said in response.

My mind was stuck on that conversation for the rest of the day. Why did Fuji ask so many questions about me? She was probably only looking for a way to pass time, though I had actually been tempted to tell her more than I did. So many times had everything just wanted to be blurted out. But I managed to keep it inside of me. I could feel it as it was slowly and painfully killing me on the inside.

The next few days of that week went by pretty quickly, it felt. Every day, as usual, I'd stand outside and Fuji would eventually join me. One day she convinced me to let her show me around the sky ship, for I spent little time exploring it. I hated sky ships. Sky pirates flew these things.

But the ship was quite huge on the inside, much bigger than I had expected. Fuji coughed a few times that day, as she had been days before. She tried to hide it, but I noticed most of the time. Wandering around wasn't going to make her Cold any better and I eventually told her to get some rest.

Again Fuji insisted she was okay. "Stop being such a body guard," she told me jokingly. I didn't really get it, at first. Was I not a body guard? I could sense the other guards watching us almost constantly, though. It was quite annoying. Fuji was right, though. They never came anywhere near us, probably because of me.

When it came near to the last day of the mission, Fuji started pushing me for more information. Though she wasn't making it obvious at first, I was still having a hard time pushing back. How badly I wanted to tell her about my past. How badly I wanted to ease the pain and let it all out. But I wouldn't allow myself to.

"What happened to your parents?" Fuji bluntly asked. She was being unusually insensitive. But I suppose she knew that she had to. Kindly asking me wasn't going to work. "It's none of your business," I replied, turning away. "No, but I'd like know anyway," Fuji insisted.

I began walking away and she hurriedly followed me. But apparently she tripped over her dragging dress(she was always so clumsy), for I spun around when I heard her quick yell. I reflexively reached out a hand to help her, but she grabbed my hold arm instead. She squeezed so tightly that the bandages there started coming loose. By the time she had managed to get back to her feet, they fell to the floor when she finally let go of my arm.

Now I _knew_ she'd be disgusted. Who wouldn't? On my arm was a huge burn scar. It was just a long patch of furless, stiff, wrinkled skin. It was like that on my other arm, too. I quickly pulled my sleeve over my arm when I saw Fuji stare at it. She looked at me. "How did that happen?"

I didn't reply. I only turned away and began leaving again. "Wait!" Fuji called. I cursed at myself silently for stopping. She paused. "Please. Why won't you tell me? I know you've probably been holding it inside for such a long time. It'll make you very sick; sicker than me—" now she was admitting her sickness—"Why can't you just let it out?"

I made no reaction for a moment. Only one question was going through my head. _Why?_ Just "why." Why did she want me to tell her about my past? Why was she trying so hard? Why did she care? "Why?" I finally made the question audible.

"Because I _want_ to know."

Such a simple answer, and yet it captivated me. She just wanted to know…She just wanted to know about my past. She just wanted to know why I acted so bitter all the time. I looked over my shoulder to see Fuji staring expectantly at me. After a pause, I sighed in defeat. "Fine…" I hesitated.

Fuji smiled and wagged her curled tail slightly. She wouldn't be so happy once she got was she had been asking for for so long, I had thought. I walked outside, Fuji following, and sat on a box of who knows what. This was going to take a while. I remember it beginning to become bitterly cold outside. This weather made my memories suddenly come rushing to me and beg to be released.

To my surprise, I told Fuji _everything_. I told her all of the misery and pain in my life; I even told her a few happy things, though there were very few. It was something I had never imagined myself doing. _It's none of their business, _a voice had kept saying to me, _and, besides, it's _your_ past. Who'd _want_ to hear it?_

But Fuji listened, frowning at the sad parts and smiling at the happy(though, as I said, there were few). And she never gave me a look of pity or distaste, as I had expected. She just kept listening, not saying a word, curious to what I would say next. I could tell that she just wanted to know, as she had said; to know me.

It wasn't just to pass time or maybe to find my weaknesses, as I had thought. It was just because she _wanted_ to know. She wanted to know the reason behind my behavior, for I knew she knew there was one. And when I finished…

"Wow, that makes my past seem like a fly in the sky," Fuji said after I had paused, indicating that I was done. She had probably gotten that simile from a fly that happened to be passing by. I had learned that Fuji commonly liked to make things she said sound smart, but had little imagination for it.

"And I thought life as a princess was hard." I was staring at my hands in my slightly hunched over position. "Now you see," I began, "this is why I'm like this." I looked up at her, smiling bitterly or mockingly, I don't remember. "I certainly couldn't be a _prince_, or something." Was I hinting at something there? I don't remember that, either. I might've been…

Fuji looked up at the sky, which I remember was beginning to get cloudy, hinting of a terrible upcoming event. One of the worst days of my life was approaching, and I had no idea of it. "I may not have known him at all, but I think you're a lot like your father." I looked at Fuji quickly, then away again. I might've been blushing.

"W-What makes you say that?" I stammered, trying not to make it seem like she had caught me off guard. "You're both really nice… but are afraid to outwardly show what you love," Fuji replied slowly. I looked at her again. Was she nuts? Nice; me? What was she smoking?

I stood up suddenly. I was a little flustered. I don't like it when people say things about me that I don't understand. Usually I take it as an insult, but I knew Fuji wasn't insulting me. So that just made me even more confused. "You don't even want to _think_ about the horrible things I've done. I'm a _terrible_ person!"

Fuji looked down thoughtfully. "Maybe not, but you're not a terrible person." I had expected her to say that. "I am," I insisted quietly, my back to her. Fuji stood up, too, her bell _ting_ing, but I didn't turn around. "But you regret the things you've done, right?" She asked. I paused. "Yes... But as if 'sorry' could solve all your problems."

"No. But sometimes saying 'sorry' is just enough," Fuji replied, making that same smile that I had always found so hard to comprehend. There was a short pause. "Well, I guess I got what I asked for," she eventually said. "Princess," I began quietly. I had gotten used to calling her that, as everyone had wanted me to. Everyone but the princess herself, anyway. She wanted me to call her by her name and gave me a quick look of dissatisfaction.

I rubbed the back of my head, hesitating. "Um… I, uh… Well… it's getting dark, you should probably get some rest," I stammered. Fuji frowned, as if she had expected me to say something else, but then smiled again. "All right. Goodnight." I watched her until she turned a corner and left from my view.

I should've told her then. I should've thanked her; thanked her for listening to me; for being the first to care; and, honestly, for probably preventing me from having a mental breakdown in the near future. I felt like the unbearable weight on my shoulders had been lifted after many years. I actually slept peacefully that night, a first in a long time.

It had begun storming outside, making the sky ship rock slightly. I suddenly woke up with a start.

My fur was bristling. I could usually feel it when something bad was happening or about to happen. A sensation was running through me, giving me chills. A knock on the door to the room I had been given immediately drove me from my thoughts. I put a hand on a gun that was resting on a nearby table and picked it up.

Quietly, I approached the door. I prepared myself for anything as I pressed the convenient button that automatically opened the door sideways. Fuji seemed a bit alarmed to see the gun in my hand and I was even more alarmed to see her. She shifted slightly, her bell _ting_ing again, and looked around, as if searching for words.

"Um… I, uh…" There was an awkward pause. Thunder suddenly clapped the sky outside and Fuji flinched. It was then that I finally understood and couldn't help but smile. "You afraid of the thunder?" I asked. "A little…" she answered in a small voice. I sighed, but not out of exasperation or annoyance. "Well, since you're here." I motioned for her to come inside.

"Thank you," Fuji said quietly as she sat on my bed and I placed the gun back down. "I've never been good with thunder." I sat down beside her. "Me neither, but it doesn't scare me." I realized that what I said made little sense. Thunder and rain reminded me of the time my father was killed… I think it was raining when my mother died, too…

Another awkward silence passed. Tomorrow was the day we would reach the kingdom. I hadn't thought anything of it before, but now, for some reason, it made my heart ache. It was as if I wanted this mission to last forever. Maybe Fuji felt the same way, for the next thing she said startled me.

"Guntz, won't you come to the kingdom with me?"

I blinked. "W-What?" I asked incredulously. Fuji looked down at her hands, as if embarrassed. "I've been told that the people in my kingdom are very nice. I think you'll like it there," she said. "Nice and bounty hunter don't really go together, you know?" I replied.

"But you don't have to be a bounty hunter anymore. You can be—" Fuji cut herself off. I looked at her. She seemed kind of nervous, as if she was afraid of how I would react to whatever she was trying to say. "Your uncle wouldn't like it," I pointed out. Her uncle hated me, that was obvious enough. He wanted me gone and over with.

"But I want to decide things on my own for once!" Fuji clenched her gown over her knees. "If I'm going to be a princess, I can't let others tell me what's right and wrong. I can do that on my own!" I shifted slightly. "I don't really qualify as 'right,'" I muttered. "You do to me!" I stared at her defiant expression wide eyed for a moment, then quickly looked away.

Fuji made a light sigh. "You're always putting yourself down as a bad person. It's not too late to become a good person, though. Everyone can change, if given the chance to." I stared at nothing thoughtfully. Fuji stood up, catching me slightly off guard. "Well, I think the thunder's stopped," she smiled, brushing her gown and trying to look calm. "So I guess I'll go back to my room."

"Uh, princess," I called as she began walking to the door, standing up. She gave me another dissatisfied look. "Uh…" Curse me and my stiff tongue; I could never say what I wanted to. "Um… goodnight," I finally said. "Goodnight," Fuji replied. "And don't forget to think about my offer," she reminded with a smile, and then left.

There was no way I was going to fall asleep now. My mind was filled to the brim with thoughts. Go to the kingdom? Live there? Settle down? It all didn't seem right. For someone like me, who's killed without care, it sounded like a reward I didn't deserve. And what about Cross? Surely he'd have something to say about this. Not that I _belonged_ to him… Though sometimes he made it seem like I did.

Actually, going to the kingdom sounded like a great idea. I could start a new life and forget my past regrets. Yeah… I wish it was that easy. But maybe… just maybe, this was the light at the end of the tunnel I had been searching for for so long. Maybe it was the hope I had thought would never come. Maybe my misfortunes were finally ending.

I was a bit restless by then, being actually quite happy for the first time in a long time. I left my room and blindly strolled around the sky ship. I could hear the rain buffeting the roof above me. After a while I saw Mr. Ruzo. He was just standing there in the hall, leaning against the wall. He gave me a look.

"You know I don't want you in our kingdom," he said to me in his old, raspy voice. "Yeah, I know," I replied, grinning indifferently. "Then don't come. You don't belong in a peaceful kingdom like ours. The princess wishes to make you her prince, but I believe you'll just destroy our kingdom!" I paused. I wasn't about to let myself blush in front of this guy.

"So you'll just let her marry some stranger?" I asked. "A stranger would be more trustworthy than you," Ruzo replied. "Maybe you should let her make her own decision for once," I said defiantly. "She is still a child. Her decisions will ruin our perfect kingdom," was all Ruzo said in reply. "Well, maybe your 'perfect' kingdom _needs_ a bit of ruining. I never did like utopias," I suggested.

"Figures _you'd_ say something like that. All we need is a good decision-making prince," Ruzu replied. "That's it? Is your kingdom the kind that hates girls, or something?" Ruzo blinked slowly. "No. But the princess hasn't long to live, that's why we need a suitor soon." I twitched. Seeing this, Ruzo smiled cruelly.

"You don't know, hmm? The princess has her father's hereditary disease. She has not long to live." My eyes widened and narrowed. At first I wanted to deny it. I suddenly felt very angry, though. How could Fuji's own uncle be so careless about this? She was only a breaking toy to him that would get him a new toy.

"You bastard," I growled deeply. "Now, don't get mad at me. I am the one paying you, you know. All you had to do was make sure the princess got to her kingdom alive so that we can quickly choose a suitor for her before she dies. Quite an easy task, don't you think?" Ruzo sneered. "I don't want your fucking money," I snarled.

"Well, I never thought I'd hear that from a bounty hunter… Is it that you've fallen for her, hmm? Did a princess make the legendary Golden Killer soft?" Ruzo laughed. I was about to snap something back when the sky ship suddenly shook, making both of us lose our balance.

"What was that?" Ruzo said quietly. I wasn't listening. There was only one place I wanted to be right now. I got up and ran past Ruzo, down the hall. I heard a faint scream after a while and stopped to listen. "C'mon, stop strugglin'," a husky voice said from somewhere. "Let go!" That was Fuji's voice.

I ran toward the voices and soon reached them. My legs had always been pretty fast. That was probably from the wolf in me. Apparently wolves like to run a lot. I saw a large man pulling Fuji's arm toward him at the end of the hall I was in. Next to them was a glass wall, which showed the rain splattering deck outside.

I sped toward them, opened my mouth, and bit down on the man's furry arm. My sharp fangs sunk in deep and I could taste his bitter blood. The man jerked back, letting go of Fuji. I let go of his arm as he stumbled back and fell into the glass wall, shattering it. Behind us I heard yelling and more people showed up, running toward us.

I grabbed Fuji's arm and ran out to the deck. The dark, heavy rain made it hard to see, but my nocturnal wolf eyes could probably pick up more than those men could. When I saw a door on the wall beside us, I immediately opened it and ran in, bringing Fuji with me. At that point I didn't care what room it was. The men had been closely pursuing us and ran past the room we were in, yelling.

The two of us were both breathing heavily, trying to keep as quiet as possible until the men were gone. The room we were in was cramped. It must've been a closet, or something. "Are you okay?" I asked Fuji. She looked down, nodding slowly. I looked up at the small window on the door. "Who were those guys?"

"They're Silverfang's men," Fuji replied. I recognized that name. "Silverfang? Isn't he a wolf?" I asked, looking at her. "Yes… he's been trying to take over my kingdom for a long time now. Now they're here to get me." Her voice shook fearfully. "They're not going to get you," I assured. She looked at me. "I won't let them."

"But they're dangerous!" Fuji objected. "So am I," I grinned, taking out a gun from my belt. "Besides, it's my job to protect you, right?" Fuji paused. "Is the money that important to you?" She asked. I frowned. There was another paused as I just stared at her green eyes. "I don't think it's about the money anymore," I said quietly.

There was more yelling outside and I put my hand on the doorknob. Fuji grabbed my arm and I looked back to see her worried expression. I smile reassuringly. "Stay here," I said as I quickly opened the door, ran out, and closed it behind me. It was quiet outside, aside from the rain. The yelling had faded in the distance. I blinked water out of my eyes as I looked around.

"Looks like I missed one," a voice said behind me. I spun around and saw a man standing several feet in front on me on the deck. No, he wasn't just a man, he was a wolf. His gray fur plastered to his body as he stood there, arms crossed. I immediately felt a tension in my body.

I didn't even understand it myself, I still don't, but something about wolves being in one place at the same time makes us aggressive. It's like we have to prove that we're better to each other, or force us to join each other's packs; if we have one. I liked to say that I wasn't like that, at least not as much as pure-blood wolves, since I'm part dog, but it's hardly true. No wonder wolves are a dying race.

"Well, well, well. Looks like there's a wolf here, huh? And all this time I thought this ship was filled with mutts," the wolf grinned with amusement. "Tell you what, show me to the princess and we'll let you join Silverfang's pack. You're gonna have to fight him first, though." I growled. "You're not getting your dirty hands on the princess!"

I raised my gun. "Hey, we're wolves, why not fight like 'em?" the wolf asked. "Maybe I don't want to fight like a wolf," I growled. The wolf shrugged. "Suit yourself." He put a hand to his back and took out a large crossbow. When he fired, I fired. I managed to move in time so that the arrow only cut my shoulder instead of striking me in the chest. My shot hit the wolf in the leg and he fell over with a painful grunt.

A heard a snarl behind him and a black figure appeared. It jumped over the wolf and, fangs bared, tackled me. When I fell I managed to kick the black wolf off of me, but I lost my gun in the process. It slid down the wet deck and off the edge. I quickly stood up as another wolf appeared and the first slowly got back to his feet. They surrounded me, white fangs bared. Now it was time to fight like a wolf.

I flashed my teeth as one of the wolves lunged for me. He bit my shoulder and I bit his neck. I threw him off as the wolf that I'd shot bit down on my leg. I yelped as the black wolf seized my side and threw me down. I kicked the wolf on my leg off and tried to get back up.

A loud _bang_, aside from my yelp, silenced everyone. I felt a sharp pain in my neck and fell over again. The three wolves looked behind them to see another wolf, red-brown in color, holding a gun up ahead of him. "You're wasting time," he growled. He approached me and pointed the gun down at my face. I gritted my teeth in pain.

The side of my neck was bleeding, I don't know how badly. I was bleeding in several other places, as well. "Tell me where the princess is," the brown wolf demanded with an indifferent gaze. I panted, struggling for my voice. "F-Fuck you."

The brown wolf frowned and clicked his gun. "Then you are of no use to me." I prepared myself for the blow, but then… then it happened. The door of the closet flung open. "No! Don't!" I remember it so clearly, like a bad itch I can't reach… Fuji ran between the brown wolf and me, arms spread apart protectively. The wolf had already started pressing down on the trigger by then. That one _bang_ sounded so different than the millions of others I had heard. It still echoes in my head.

"FUJI!!!"

I forced myself up as Fuji began falling back. I heard the brown wolf curse quickly as she fell into my arms. "Good going, Nero! The leader's gonna have our heads for sure now!" The gray wolf barked. Then, an ear-ringing crackle noise sounded and a blinding flash struck a wing of the sky ship. It shook, knocking a few of the wolves over.

"Shit…!" The brown wolf growled. He looked down at me and Fuji quickly, before spinning around. "Let's get the Hell out of here." I heard them leave, but I wasn't paying attention to them anymore. I just stared down at Fuji in my arms. She was breathing heavily, her chest bleeding nonstop.

"F-Fuji! Hang on," I stammered despairingly. Fuji opened her eyes and smiled. "You… said my name… finally." I gritted my teeth and looked down. "Why…? You should've stayed inside," I said in a cracking voice. "I can… make my own… decisions," Fuji replied, gasping. This was another one of those obvious things I couldn't understand. Where did people find the selflessness to use themselves as a shield for somebody else?

Sometimes it was for people they didn't even know or people who didn't deserve it, like me. But this wasn't the first time someone's done this for me, or the last. I just couldn't understand… Why did they do it? I've murdered so many people, yet they willingly give up their lives so I can live? It's never made any sense to me…

I held my breath and closed me eyes, trying to stop them from doing what they were trying to do. A soft touch on my face made me open them again. "It's okay… to cry… in front of me," Fuji said slowly, smiling. "Everyone cries… even tough guys… like you." I felt them now; the hot tears running down my cheeks. Their heat felt strange against the cold rain.

How many times had Cross told me not to cry? He told me crying was weak, so I stopped. No matter how many times I wanted to, I wouldn't cry. But there I was, crying like the baby I still am. Fuji slowly brushed her hand across my already wet cheek. "Just… don't be lonely… okay...?" And then her hand fell, at the same time her eyes closed. I felt a sharp pain in my chest and forgot to breathe for a moment.

"Fuji! Fuji!!"

Hardly able to catch my breath again, I held her limp body tightly. It was a moment after that when I finally noticed the wing of the sky ship on fire and the whole thing beginning to descend. I could care less, though. Wouldn't it be better if I just died? Though I'd probably go to Hell… far away from where Fuji is now.

I must've fallen unconscious, because the next thing I remember his throwing a pile of rubble off of myself. When my senses slowly returned, I found that I was on what was left of the sky ship, on the ground. Then I remembered what had happened. It all sent a terrible pain through my chest.

I swear… I must've looked everywhere. I couldn't find anyone; not a single body. All that was there was the rubble, their fire slowly burning out by the rain. Then I heard it.

_Ting_

Where was that sound coming from? I looked under my feet and saw it. It was dirty, ripped, and cracked, but that was it. It was Fuji's bell ribbon. I slowly picked it up and then suddenly fell to my knees. Why, why, why? That question went through my mind a million times. Why did this always happen? Why did I always survive? Why wouldn't I just die already?

A crow squawked nearby, perched on a heap of rubble. I knew it was the same one. Stupid bird… But no… _No, don't blame the bird. You know whose fault this is,_ a voice said to me. How stupid I am. It was like... I had been trapped in a cage and someone gave me the key, but I lost it before I could use it. I had been given hope, but I let it get away.

I gritted my teeth tightly as the tears began falling again. I then lifted my muzzle high and let out a low, short howl. I was scared; I was mad; I was sad; and most of all…

I was lonely.

* * *

¹Cross: Guntz' "teacher." He taught Guntz how to be a feared bounty hunter. There's much more to him than it seems, though. 

²White Plague: One of the worst illnesses on Phantomile³. First started as an epidemic. Its side affects are usually different for everyone, but almost always fatal.

³Phantomile: The planet they live on here and in _Legend of Rebirth_.

* * *

Wow… 12 pages long on MS Word. I need to learn how to make my one-shots shorter, or else they might as well be a 2 chapter story. Anyway… pretty depressing ending, neh? That's also new for me. I'm one to usually make a happy-go-lucky, happily ever after ending. And it's not that I'm in a bad mood, or anything. I'd planned this kind of ending ever since I thought the whole thing up. 

Now I gotta get back to working on _New, Interesting, and Unusual_. When that's done, I'll start uploading _Legend of Rebirth_.


End file.
